'I was scared of the stereotypes and stigma': Ex-gym instructor opens up about his journey to early childhood education

To commemorate Teacher's Day today (Aug 30), AsiaOne speaks with this educator to find out more about his journey to early childhood education.

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As a teacher, Zulqarnain Rashid's career might initially come across as run-of-the-mill.

But the ages of his charges might surprise some.

The 35-year-old, who goes by Zul, is an experienced early childhood educator, having moved to the industry in 2013 after his stint as a gym instructor for children.

Given the nature of these two jobs, there's no denying that Zul has a knack for connecting with kids.

"It isn't something I'm aware of, consciously. But I do have a lot of young nieces and nephews. And [if they are around], I'll be the one playing with them," he told AsiaOne.

Discovering his passion

Early in his career, Zul did part-time work as a relief teacher for primary and secondary schools.

It was then that he uncovered his love for teaching.

When an opportunity to be a gym instructor for children came up, Zul was excited to take up the offer.

"It's still teaching, but a bit more on motor skills and movements. So I thought, 'Why not just give it a try?'," he said.

This was back in 2012 and Zul's performance as a gym instructor for kids did not go unnoticed.

His manager at the time was so impressed with his ability to connect with children that she suggested early childhood education as a potential line of work in future.

It wasn't as if Zul would come in with no experience in the education sector.

Plus, his specific skill set would ostensibly be a solid foundation for him to excel as an early childhood educator.

It seemed like a no-brainer, but Zul had his reservations, and he was aware that the issue laid deeper than how compatible he was with the job.

After all, it's no secret that early childhood education is a female-dominated industry.

For context, in 2023, less than one per cent of preschool educators in Singapore are men, as reported by CNA.

With unfamiliarity comes discomfort — be it from parents, within the industry or the community, at large.

Mulling over career path

Zul researched on the industry and sought opinions from friends and family.

His loved ones were not against him taking up the role. In fact, they were supportive of the idea.

However, they understood the potential challenges that await Zul as a male preschool teacher.

"I was scared of the stereotypes and stigma the public may have on men being in the early childhood sector," he admitted.

As an early childhood educator, daily tasks include the changing of diapers and showering of children and Zul wasn't sure, at that time, if society was "ready" to have a man perform said roles.

A mixed experience at a career fair did little to qualm his nerves either.

Employers, from both the private and government sector, were present and Zul revealed how several seemed generally interested in hiring him.

However, there were also some who "weren't very accommodating". Zul opted against revealing more.

When it was decision time, he told himself to "just be positive" and see where this new journey would take him.

Navigating tricky situations

Zul's infectious energy shines through during our conversation and it comes as little surprise that his transition to becoming a preschool teacher was relatively smooth.

While he dismissed the notion of ever needing to earn the trust of parents and colleagues, he admitted that some of them took a while to get used to a male presence.

"The parents were initially shocked," he said.

But Zul's principal broke the ice by introducing him to the parents and they eventually warmed up to him.

Some even shared that it's nice to see a male figure at the centre.

Having heard of horror stories where parents would threaten principals to let go of their male educators, Zul is aware that his positive experiences may not apply to all male preschool teachers in Singapore.

He said: "I realised that sometimes your experience might be smooth sailing but others may be going through a rough time, especially with the stereotypes and stigma [they face]."

There have been situations when parents would come up to double check if Zul showers the children.

It's something his centre has prepared for and a standard operating procedure (SOP) was created to allay any worries.

Zul shared that male educators aren't allowed to shower the children and are advised against hugging them as it may give off the "wrong impression" to parents.

"Even though I am not able to hug the children to show how much I love them, we would high five or share different handshakes [instead]," he said.

He added that these alternative methods of expression helps the kids understand that he is acknowledging them and ultimately, it "makes them feel good".

Impacting others through work

One of the many things Zul enjoys about his job is noticing improvements in his kids' confidence levels or communication skills.

A lasting memory that's still etched in his mind is of a quiet boy he taught roughly nine years ago.

The boy was in Kindergarten 2 back then and struggled academically. He was also unmotivated to learn.

His mother was worried how this might affect her son's transition to primary school so Zul and his colleagues worked tirelessly to find different techniques in motivating the young boy.

About two years ago, he bumped into this ex-pupil and the change in him was transformational.

Zul observed how the boy now speaks with confidence and he was told that the latter now reads daily before he sleeps.

"His mum came over and just cried. She said they were praying to bump into me because they wanted to share how much he has improved in his primary school journey," he said.

In recounting this moment, Zul's voice quivers as he takes a second to steady himself.

He is clearly a man passionate about his work and one who encourages others to be part of the industry, regardless of their gender.

Zul advises them to do their research beforehand and just "take the leap forward".

He added: "11 years after [I took my leap of faith], I'm still here and enjoying every second."

ALSO READ: Say 'thank you' with these gift ideas for pre-school teachers

amierul@asiaone.com